FLASHBACK ARTICLE FROM OCTOBER 2010
This month I will stray from the path a bit from simply “talkin’ bride,” to address my fellow DJ colleagues about the power of becoming involved in your local ADJA Chapter, especially if you are a single operator.
As we all know, sometimes “life happens,” and our industry is very unique in the fact that we cannot ask a client to “reschedule” the wedding if an emergency arises. Think about it, even a Doctor can call a client to reschedule an appointment or even a surgery. We do not have that luxury. You may be wondering, why I am addressing this topic at this moment…well within the past month our company was called upon to help a fellow DJ, and conversely, our company reached out to fellow DJ colleagues for assistance just a few weeks ago.
The first scenario truly was an emergency. One of our DJ friends who we met through the ADJA (and happens to be a single operator) found out on a Thursday that he needed emergency eye surgery, and yes, he was scheduled for a wedding on Saturday. Our company was called upon to help, and being a very elaborate wedding that included Rehearsal Coordination, Ceremony and Reception, we needed to send 2 of our staff members to cover the event. One of our DJs even cancelled his weekend travel plans with his wife to help this needy DJ. Imagine what could have happened if this single operator had no connections in the DJ world! How would his business have been impacted by “cancelling” on a bride and groom?
And only a few weeks ago, one of our DJs provided entertainment for a backyard Sweet 16 Party. Jay and I were one hundred miles away in Madison, Wisconsin on the eve of Jay’s first Ironman Race. We were enjoying the evening walking around downtown Madison, when we received the “dreaded” phone call before the party began that our system AND backup system were not working. Jay troubleshooted with our DJ for close to an hour, without any luck, and at that point I stepped in and told Jay to start making phone calls to our local DJ colleagues. Even though this was a Saturday night in September, every DJ we contacted responded, most likely realizing that we wouldn’t be calling unless there was an emergency. Two companies had staff available to help and offered to bring another system to our event in time for dancing.
We could not have been more grateful to have joined our local ADJA Chapter six years ago where we began building these valuable relationships in our industry. No sooner was help on the way…we received a call from the caterer at the event saying there was a problem with his generator we were running power from. The problem was then quickly fixed and our client had a party filled with dancing, fun and great memories. The party even extended an hour!
No matter how strong we think we may be, there will always be a time where we will need the help of others. Building relationships within our industry starts with your local ADJA Chapter, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and connect with your fellow DJ colleagues…you may even make some life long friends along the way. I know we have!
